Prioritizing Metabolic Gene Regulators through Multi-Omic Network Integration in Maize.

Elucidating gene regulatory networks (GRNs) is a major area of study within plant systems biology. Phenotypic traits are intricately linked to specific gene expression profiles. These expression patterns arise primarily from regulatory connections between sets of transcription factors (TFs) and their target genes. In this study, we integrated publicly available co-expression networks derived from more than 6,000 RNA-seq samples, 283 protein-DNA interaction assays, and 16 million of SNPs used to identify expression quantitative loci (eQTL), to construct TF-target networks. In total, we analyzed ~4.6M interactions to generate four distinct types of TF-target networks: co-expression, protein-DNA interaction (PDI), trans-expression quantitative loci (trans-eQTL), and cis-eQTL combined with PDIs. To improve the functional annotation of TFs based on its target genes, we implemented three different strategies to integrate these four types of networks. We subsequently evaluated the effectiveness of our method through loss-of function mutant and random networks. The multi-network integration allowed us to identify transcriptional regulators of hormone-, metabolic- and development-related processes. Finally, using the topological properties of the fully integrated network, we identified potentially functional redundant TF paralogs. Our findings retrieved functions previously documented for numerous TFs and revealed novel functions that are crucial for informing the design of future experiments. The approach here-described lays the foundation for the integration of multi-omic datasets in maize and other plant systems.

Normalizing and Correcting Variable and Complex LC-MS Metabolomic Data with the R Package pseudoDrift.

In biological research domains, liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS) has prevailed as the preferred technique for generating high quality metabolomic data. However, even with advanced instrumentation and established data acquisition protocols, technical errors are still routinely encountered and can pose a significant challenge to unveiling biologically relevant information. In large-scale studies, signal drift and batch effects are how technical errors are most commonly manifested. We developed pseudoDrift, an R package with capabilities for data simulation and outlier detection, and a new training and testing approach that is implemented to capture and to optionally correct for technical errors in LC-MS metabolomic data. Using data simulation, we demonstrate here that our approach performs equally as well as existing methods and offers increased flexibility to the researcher. As part of our study, we generated a targeted LC-MS dataset that profiled 33 phenolic compounds from seedling stem tissue in 602 genetically diverse non-transgenic maize inbred lines. This dataset provides a unique opportunity to investigate the dynamics of specialized metabolism in plants.

Root angle in maize influences nitrogen capture and is regulated by calcineurin B-like protein (CBL)-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 15 (ZmCIPK15).

Crops with reduced nutrient and water requirements are urgently needed in global agriculture. Root growth angle plays an important role in nutrient and water acquisition. A maize diversity panel of 481 genotypes was screened for variation in root angle employing a high-throughput field phenotyping platform. Genome-wide association mapping identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with root angle, including one located in the root expressed CBL-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 15 (ZmCIPK15) gene (LOC100285495). Reverse genetic studies validated the functional importance of ZmCIPK15, causing a approximately 10° change in root angle in specific nodal positions. A steeper root growth angle improved nitrogen capture in silico and in the field. OpenSimRoot simulations predicted at 40 days of growth that this change in angle would improve nitrogen uptake by 11% and plant biomass by 4% in low nitrogen conditions. In field studies under suboptimal N availability, the cipk15 mutant with steeper growth angles had 18% greater shoot biomass and 29% greater shoot nitrogen accumulation compared to the wild type after 70 days of growth. We propose that a steeper root growth angle modulated by ZmCIPK15 will facilitate efforts to develop new crop varieties with optimal root architecture for improved performance under edaphic stress.

Cuantificación del bromuro de rocuronio durante el transoperatorio administrado en bolos o por infusión continua en pediatría / Clinical quantification of rocuronium bromide in pediatry: bolus or continous infusion

El bromuro de rocuronio es un nuevo relajante muscular esteroideo, su estructura química es semejante a la del vecuronio, pero el tiempo de latencia de la relajación muscular es alrededor de la mitad del tiempo del vecuronio, además la duración y la recuperación es semejante a la del atracurio y vecuronio. Este estudio se diseñó para evaluar la cuantificación clínica de rocuronio durante la anestesia. También los tiempos y la calidad de relajación. Método: cincuenta pacientes pediátricos ASA I-II, edades de 1 a 12 años con peso corporal de 10 a 30 kg, con un tiempo mayor de 90 minutos de cirugía electiva. Se administró anestesia general con isoflurano a concentraciones del 1-1.5 por ciento con 100 por ciento de oxígeno, citrato de fentanyl a 0.003 mg/kg, propofol a 2 mg/kg. Todos los pacientes recibieron una dosis inicial de rocuronio a 0.6 mg/kg para la intubación con monitoreo neuromuscular en el nervio cubital. Posteriormente los pacientes se dividieron en dos grupos: Grupo A: recibió rocuronio a dosis de 0.3 mg/kg en bolos a dosis respuesta; al grupo b se le administró el rocuronio en infusión continua a 10 µg/kg/min. Se midieron los parámetros neuromusculares, consumo de rocuronio durante la anestesia. Resultados: Los resultados de rocuronio fueron los siguientes: En bolos intermitentes el consumo promedio fue de 31.00 ñ 01 µg/kg/min (1.86 ñ 0.62 mg/kg/h). El consumo por infusión continua fue de 8.00 ñ 01 µg/kg/min. (0.514 ñ 0.83 mg/kg/h) con significancia estadística. La relación de consumo fue de 4:1. No fue necesario revertir los efectos de depresión neuromuscular, no se apreciaron efectos secundarios

Sedación en odontopediatría. Comparación del midazolam vía intranasal, con el diazepam vía oral / Sedation in pediatric dentistry. A comparison of intranasal midazolam and oral diazepam

Se hace una comparación entre el midazolam administrado por vía intranasal, contra el diazepam administrado por vía oral, para sedación en odontopediatría. Se estudiaron 40 pacientes de 3 a 5 años de edad, aparentemente sanos, con niveles de ansiedad elevados. Se formaron 2 grupos de estudio, con 20 pacientes en cada uno. Al primer grupo se administró midazolam (Dormicum) vía intranasal calculado a 0.3 mg/kg/peso; y al segundo grupo, se adminsitró diazapam (valium) vía oral a la misma dosis. Los resultados indicaron que el grupo midazolam tuvo un inicio de acción más rápido, mejor efecto sedativo, obteniéndose mayor éxito durante el tratamiento odontológico. La recuperación de los pacientes fue más rápida en este grupo, con respecto al grupo de pacientes que recibió diazepam. La vía intranasal fue bien tolerada por los pacientes de esta edad. Ambas drogas son seguras, ya que no hubo efectos secundarios ni complicaciones con las dosis indicadas